Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Just
in case you missed it, here’s the story: The ZR1 is the
fastest and most powerful Corvette ever produced. In fact,
it’s the fastest and most powerful production car in General
Motors’ history. We’re still conducting performance testing,
so I can’t throw out 0-60, quarter-mile and braking numbers,
but suffice it to say that we couldn’t use the Corvette
Z06’s 200-mph speedometer because there weren’t enough
numbers on it.
The power behind this performance capability is the new LS9,
a supercharged and intercooled, 6.2-liter version of the
famed small-block V-8 that is assembled by hand at GM’s
Performance Build Center in Michigan. The LS9 uses a new,
sixth-generation Eaton supercharger that expands the
effectiveness of the compressor, helping give the engine
terrific low-end torque and high-rpm power. The tremendous
power boost of the “blower” allowed the engineers to spec a
“smaller” cam than we use on the Z06’s LS7 engine, giving
the ZR1 exceptional drivability. You can drive this car to
work every day and it doesn’t beat you up, yet you can take
it to a racetrack on the weekend and mop the floor with the
competition.
Final power numbers are still being calculated, but we’re
confident the LS9 will make at least 100 horsepower per
liter, or 620 horsepower, and nearly 600 lb.-ft. of torque.
The engine is backed by a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual
that uses a dual-disc clutch that, again, enhances the
overall driving feel with a smooth, easy pedal effort. I’d
be remiss if I didn’t mention the carbon-ceramic brakes and
second-generation magnetic ride control that are standard,
too.
On the outside, the ZR1 stands out with unique, larger
wheels and tires, a distinctive rear spoiler and unique
front fenders with dual-split vents. But admirers and wary
competitors will certainly know the car from its windowed
hood and exposed-weave carbon fiber parts. The hood window
provides a look at the top of the engine’s intercooler and
the exposed-weave carbon-fiber parts are found on the roof,
rocker moldings and front splitter. We’ve used carbon fiber
previously on the Corvette, but we really wanted to show it
off on the ZR1 and a new clear coat that blocks ultra-violet
rays finally allowed us to do it.
The
Corvette has always been a performance and technology leader,
from the fuel-injected racers pioneered by the likes of Zora
Arkus-Duntov and the ground-shaking L88 big-blocks of the late
1960s, to the first ZR-1 supercar that was introduced in 1990
and the track-dominating C5R and C6R racecars. The new ZR1 is
the culmination of that legacy, delivering an uncompromising
balance of performance and driving comfort that exotics costing
two, three or four times as much, cannot match.
The technical information
on the ZR1 that was released yesterday has already spawned the
inevitable “pushrod versus overhead-cam” debate, with
preconceived notions continually perpetuated about the perceived
technical sophistication of a cam-in-block design. Our
Powertrain team’s testing shows the LS9 makes about 300
horsepower by only 3,300 rpm and a significant 320 lb.-ft. of
torque at only 1,000 rpm. The engine’s rev range is competitive
with many overhead-cam engines, but we’ve also got usable torque
at every notch on the tachometer. It’s a also a compact,
relatively low-mass package, which helps the ZR1 achieve a
better power-to-weight ratio than the Porsche 911 GT2, the
Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini LP640.At
Chevrolet, we couldn’t be prouder about the ZR1; it is a world-beating
supercar from America that makes no apologies. And to those who
question its capabilities or technical supremacy, I have only
two words: Bring it.
© 2009corvettezr1.net
